TABLE 3.
Research priorities related to the epidemiology of bronchiectasis
| Research question | Related issues | Research perspectives to solve them |
|---|---|---|
| Which bronchiectasis definition should be used for epidemiological studies? | Several studies do not distinguish between the solitary radiological evidence of bronchiectasis and both clinically and radiologically significant bronchiectasis | A uniform, consensus-based definition of bronchiectasis for epidemiological studies |
| How should epidemiological data on bronchiectasis incidence, prevalence and mortality should be presented and analysed? | Different available data formats are hardly comparable | A uniform, consensus-based identification of the most appropriate way to present epidemiological data on bronchiectasis |
| What is the epidemiology of bronchiectasis in parts of the world not explored by currently available studies? | No data is available from highly populated areas of the globe, such as Africa, South America and the Middle East | More epidemiological, population-based studies in the unexplored areas Development of national and international registries in the aforementioned areas |
| How can reliable data on bronchiectasis-related mortality be obtained worldwide? | The mortality rate in bronchiectasis patients can vary according to aetiology, disease severity and activity, comorbidities, and access to medical care | More epidemiological, longitudinal long-term studies employing large-scale registries and real-world data with standardised diagnostic criteria |
| How does having comorbid asthma and/or COPD affect the epidemiology of bronchiectasis? | Do people with comorbid CADs have higher risk of developing bronchiectasis? The association of CAD with bronchiectasis can be chaotic and difficult to standardise at both national and international levels |
A uniform, consensus-based definition of the criteria for the association between asthma and bronchiectasis Large-scale, population-based studies to explore incidence and prevalence of bronchiectasis, asthma, COPD and their association in the general population |
| How does microbiology affect the epidemiology of bronchiectasis? | Few data are available on the clinical implications and outcomes of patients suffering from chronic infections due to bacteria other than Pseudomonas | Studies describing specific characteristics of post-TB and ABPA-related bronchiectasis More epidemiological studies addressing the outcomes of people affected by chronic infections from bacteria different than Pseudomonas and NTM Large-scale studies to describe the true impact of Pseudomonas on the prognosis of bronchiectasis patients |
| How could differences in access to care be approached? | Disease awareness might be low in specific areas of the globe | Increasing patients and healthcare professionals’ awareness of the disease Powering patient advocacy and requests for additional healthcare resources in specific areas of the globe Development of new drugs for bronchiectasis |
ABPA: allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis; CAD: chronic airway disease; NTM: nontuberculous mycobacteria; TB: tuberculosis.